Machine for knitting lacework



. J. EPPLER.

MACHINE FOR KNITTING LACEWORKl I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 19:8.

' Patented Jan. 6,1920,

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ATTOR/YEK J. EPPLER-v MACHINE FOR KNITTING LACEWORK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 19%8.

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MACHINE FOR KNITTING LACEWORK. APPLICATION. FlL ED JUN E I3, 1918.

1,327,228, Patented Jan. 6,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET sl YBVW/Z by step and are U ITED STATES- PATENT onnro is JOHN EPPLER, or PHILADELFHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR KNITTING LACEWORK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN EPrLnR,-a citi: zen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Knitting Lacework, of which the following is provement' involves new means for thereof comprising a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for knitting lacework-and especially to that type bars, guiding the weft threads, which are slidable back and forth for variable distances in accordance with the pattern or design of the fabric to be woven. These bars are actuated by monitors, which comprise drums, located toward opposite ends of the machine, which are turnable step also reciprocable longitudinally toward theends of the bars and in the direction of their extension, these drums carrying pattern chains provided with removable radial pins which engage the ends of the bars and push them longitudinally a distance dependent upon the length of the pins. In the actual use of these machines, the means for actuatin and controlling these bars and monitors lias not been satisfactory, and it is the object of my invention ..to improve these means.

One source of trouble has arisen from the difficulty of removing and replacing the pins and securely holding them in place. There are as many pins on each link of the pattern chain as there are bars to be actuated and there are a large number of links in the chain, so that, in equipping the machine to knit a new pattern, a considerable amount of work is involved-in removing and replacing the pins. One part of my imholding the pins in place in the pockets carried by the links of the pattern chain, whereby they may be effectively secured by simply prush ing theminto the pockets and may be readily removed by a turning movement followed by withdrawal. These means, however, are not herein claimed, as they form the subject of a separate divisional application filed May-3,.1919, Serial No. 294,503.

Another source of trouble is the maintenance of the bars in the longitudinal position to which they are moved by the pins of the monitor until they'are released. It is cus tomary to hold all the bars in position by Specification of Letters Patent.

means of a single locking contrivance com- Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Application filed June 13, 1918. Serial No. 239,746.

monto all, but perfect alinement between the locking contrivance and all the bars cannot be maintained with certainty and consequently all the bars are not always securely held. I have provided independent locking contrivances for each bar, which are released by the actuation of a common holder for such locks.

The third source of trouble is the liability of the monitor or drum to accidentally turn on its axis in that part of the operation of the machine during which it must be held from turning 'to insure exact alinement between the pins and the bars actuated thereby. I have provided means which positively and with certainty hold the monitor from turning until it is positively actuated by the intermittent turning mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a knitting machine embodying my invention, many-of the parts of the machine not. directly cooperating with the novel features thereof being omitted.

Fig. 2 isa detail plan view of part of the pattern chain.

Fig. tion, of one of the links of the pattern chain.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the pins.

' Fig. 5is a perspective view of one end of the machine.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the driving shaft and the mechanism actuated thereby for controlling the engagement and disengagemerit of the locks for the weft bars.

Fig. 7 is a detail viewof a part of one of the weft bars and the individual locking duplicated so far as concerns the monitor and the means for actuating and locating the .same, and a description of one set of mechanism will therefore suffice for both.

3 is a detail side view, partly in sec- Secured to and extending longitudinally V from the frame a toward one end of the machine are two pairs of parallel rods-g, upon which slides a cross head 71. which affords bearings for the drum i of the monitor. The drum 21 carries the pattern chain j, several links of which are shown in Fig. 2. A take-up roller 25 on a guide-frame 26 projectingdongitudinally from the cross head It affords means to support the pattern chain,

as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Eachlink is provided with a series of pockets is, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, corresponding in number with the weft bars m, which are slidable longitudinally on the frameof the machine in the usual manncr. Extending transversely ofthe axes of the pockets are spring wires 1, which act as retainers for the pins 32. I have shown one wire for two adjacent pockets, opposite ends of'the wire extending, through slots t, in the respective pockets considerably to one side of their axes. Each wire between its ends is bent around a screw 0 locatedbetween the pockets and threaded into the body of the link. Each pin p, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, has a beveled inner end 7" and a cross notch 8 back of the bevel.

To insert apin p in a pocket is the pin is positioned so that its bevel *r is on the same side'of the pocket as the retainer a. It is then ushed into the pocket, the retainer being isplaced sidewlse by the bevel and afterward snapping into the notch s. The pin is thus-automatically held so securely to the chain that it cannot be accidentally displaced. To remove the pin it is only necessary to first partially'rotate it, thereby forcing the retainer n outwardly, whereupon the pin may be readily withdrawn.

It will th be understood that not. only are the oper zllions of removal and replacement of pins very simple and expeditious, but no se arable fastening devices are required and t e pin-s are .held in place with more certainty and security than by the means heretofore employed.

Opposlte end hubs of each'drum iare en- A gaged by the slotted forked ends of a rockmg arm w, the lower end of which (not shown.) is pivoted in the usual manner.

The arm a is reciprocated by means of a link 1), one end of which is connectedto the arm u and the other end of which is connected to a crank w on the shaft f (or b). Thereby the drum i and the corresponding cross headJz. are reciprocated on the rods 9.

"It will be understood that when the monitor is moved in-Ward a set of pins p must be in exact alinement with the bars m and that the drum 2' must be positively held from with the pin.

receded. The usual means for intermit- I tent'ly turning the drum comprise a ratchet wheel 00 on the shaft of the drum z and a pawl 3/ adjustably pivoted on the machine frame. It will be understood that as the monitor approaches the end of its'outward travel, the pawl y is'engaged by the ratchet a", the latter being thereby turned until the pawl drops back of the next tooth. To pre [vent the drum'turning beyond the position required to bring the next set of pins 39 into proper position, the drum carries a notched wheel .2 which is engaged by a locking pin 10. The means for controllin the operation of this locking pin forms t e second of the novel features of the present invention.

This locking pin is carried by a longitudinally extending lever 11, which is pivoted-at 12 on an arm 13 secured to the cross head h; The lever is always under tension so as to the notched wheel 2 or to cause the hold the locking pin 10 in engagement with notch in the wheel is brought into alinement The means shown for imposing the desired tension on the lever 11 is a spring 14 connecting the lever with an arm 15-secured to the lever u. To prevent the drum ifrom turning too freely, a brakeband 16, secured to the arm 15, engages a part of the periphery of the notched wheel 2 and is connected with the lever 11 by means of a spring 17. It will thus be understood that provision must be made to positively lift-the lever ll'and withdraw the locking pin 10 from engagement with the notched wheel a just before the engagement of the pawly with ratchet w. This is effected by means of the following contrivance.

The free inner end of the lever 11 carries a pin 18 which slides in a slotted guide plate 19 secured to and extending longitudinally from the machine frame. the slot is level and during the inward movement of the monitor the pin 18 on the end of lever 11 slides over and. upon this level V uiding face. 'In such inward movement,

it lifts the free end of a cam lever 2 0 pivot-.

ed on a bracket 21 secured to the guide-plate 19. The width of the outer part of the slot of the guide-plate is such as vto allow sufli- 'cient upward displacement offthe cam-lever to allow the pin to pass uiider and lift and clear thecamlever in the advance move ment of the monitor and to leave sufiicient space between the' cam-lever and the upper face .of the slot to allow the pin 18 of lever 11 to pass over it in the return movement The bottom of of the monitor, thereby lifting the lever 11 on its pivot, withdrawing the locking pin v 10 from the notched wheel 2 and allowing the pawl y to turn the ratchet wheel as and;. the drum a. -When the drum 7; has turned into position to bring the next notch of the wheel- 2 under the pin 10, which is after. thepin i s' i mains until after the monitor has again advanced and has partly completed its return movement. During the last half of the ad- Vance movement and the first half of the return movement of the monitor, the lever 11 is helddown, not only by the tension mechanism described, but also positively by the confinement of the pin 18 in the narrow part of the slot of guide 19.

While the weft bars m are pushed in opposite directions by the pins 2 of the two pattern chains, they are at no time held by either set of pins from moving in one direction or the other and for a large part of the time are not held by the pins from moving in either direction. It is necessary to lock these bars in the precise position to which they are moved by the pins 3) and to unlock them preparatory to their actuation by the pins. To effect this result each bar we is provided with a rack 30 which is engaged by a latch. There are as many latches as there are bars, but all the latches are carried by a common vertically reciprocable carrier plate 31. The lower end of thecarrier is stepped to correspond with the variation in level of the several bars m. Extending vertically and slidably through the carrier plate are the latches, each latch comprising a rack engaging head 32, guided in a recess 34 in the carrier, and a rod 33 extending loosely through, and projecting above the top of, the carrier. Threaded on the projecting upper end of the rod is a nut or nuts 35. Confined with the recess 34, above the head 32 of the latch, is a coil spring 36'.

The latch carrier 31 has dovetailed ends slidable in brackets secured to the machine frame. It is moved up and down by means of a curved rocking'lever 37, pivoted between its ends on the machine frame and having at one end a pin and slotengagement with the carrier 31 and at its other end having a roller 38 held in operative relation with a cam 39 by means of a spring 40. On the shaft of the cam 39 is a bevel gear 41 which is driven by a bevel gear 42 on a shaft. 43.

Bevel gears 44, 45 connect the shaft 43 with the driving shaft b.

The described parts are so arranged that immediately after the bars m have been moved by one set of actuating-pins 79 into their predetermined positions, the carrier 31 is dropped suflicie'ntly to cause the sev-. eral latches 32 to engage the racks 30 of the corresponding bars m. v The carrier is dropped to the position shown 1n Fig. 7 so as to insure the descent of the carrier to a level which will with certainty insure the. engagement of all the latches. 'To the ex tent that the carrier clears the nuts 35 the springs 36 will be compressed and thereby tion, and means adapted, in

with the proper and certain operation of the latches when the carrier 31 is depressed. Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent isz,

1. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with a pattern chain drum and means to reciprocate and intermittently rotate the drum, of a sliding lever reciprocable with the drum, means .controlled by the lever to lock the drum from turning, means normally retaining the lever in looking posithe receding movement of the drum and lever, to actuate the lever to release said holding means.

Ina machine for knitting lac-e, the combination with a pattern chain drum' and means to reciprocate and intermittently rohold the latches in engagement with the with the drum, -means controlled by the v lever to lock the drum from turning, and a movable cam adapted, in the forward movement of the drum and lever, to be displaced out of the path of movement of the lever and in the receding movement of the drum and lever to shift the lever and release the drum-locking means.

4. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with a pattern chain drum and means to reciprocate and intermittently rotate the .drum, of a sliding and swinging lever reciprocable with the drum, means controlled by the lever to lock the drum from turning, a guide plate having a surface along which the lever is guided in. its forward sliding movement, and a swinging cam interposed in the-path of travel of the lever and overhanging said surface and adapted, in the forward sliding movement of the lever, to be engaged thereby and lifted, and adapted, in the return sliding movement of the lever, to swing said lever into position to release the drumelocking means;-

5. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with a pattern chain drum and means to reciprocate and intermittently rotate the drum, of a sliding and swinging lever reciprocable with the drum,means controlled by the lever to lock the drum from turning, a guide plate extending in the direction of reciprocation of the lever and provided with a slot having a fiat lower face and relatively narrow at its inner end and'relatively wide at its outer end, and a cam located in the wider outer-end of the slot, said cam being pivoted at its outer end, its inner free end extending inwardly and downwardly toward the level lower face of "the slot, said cam being displaceable upwardly by said lever in itslorward movement and operating, in the return movement of the lever, to swing the lever upwardly and thereby release the drum-locking means.

6. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with a pattern chain drum and means to reciprocate and intermittently rowheel, and a swingin tate the drum, ofa notched wheelturning with the drum, a lever pivoted at its outer end and reciprocable with the drum, a look- ,ing pin carried by the lever and adapted to gaged and displaced thereby and in the rearward movement of the lever, to engage the lever and swing it into position to disengage the pin from the wheel.

7 In a machine for knltting lace, the com- .bination with longitudinally shiftable weftbars, of locking contrivances for the respective bars, common means to move all said locking devices into and out of operative position, sa1d means,'1n 1ts movement to lock,

having a limited movement beyond said looking devices, and springs, compressible in such movement, operating to hold the latches in engagement w1th the rack-bars.

8. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with longitudinally shiftable weftbars, of a carrier, separate locking devices on the carrier, one for each bar, movablev relatively to the carrier, springs, one for each lockingdevice, adapted to hold the locking devices'in locking engagement with the respective bars when the carrier is" in appropriate position, and means to move the carrier to bringthelocking devices into and gut of operative relation with the respective ars.

, 9. -In a machine for knitting lace, the 06m .bination with longitudinallyshiftable weftbars and racksv on the bars, of aearrienand means to reclprocate the carrier toward and several from the racks, latches, one for each bar, movable on the carrier and independently of each other, and springs operating upon the latches to insure their proper locking e11- gagement with the respective racks notwithstanding variations in distance between the racks and their corresponding latches or slight variations in the depth of the rack teeth.

10. In a machine for knitting lace, the combination with longitudinally shiftable weft-bars and racks on the bars, of a carrier and means to reciprocate the carrier toward and from the racks, latches having locking heads adapted to engage the racks and slidable in recesses in the carrier and having shanks also slidable in the carrier, means. whereby, as the carrier is raised, it engages the latches and withdraws them from locking engagement with the respective racks, and a spring confined in each recess between the lockinghead of the latch and the base of the recess whereby, as the carrier approaches the racks, the several latches will engage the respective racks before the completion of the carriers movement, causing the springs, as the carrier completes its movement, to be compressed against the locking. heads of the latches.

11. In'a machine for knitting lace, the combination with longitudinally shiftable weft-bars, of a carrier movable toward and from-the weft-bars, and lockin contrivances for,the several bars indepen ently retractable relatively to'the carrier in the movement of the carrier toward locking position.

12.- In a machine for knitting lace, the

combination with longitudinally shiftable weft-bars, of locking contrivances for the several bars, independent springs engaging the respective looking devices, and common positively actuated means adapted to release the locking contrivances from. engagement with the weft-bars and adapted to cooperate with the springs to effect locking engagement of the locking contrivances with the weft-bars. 1

13. In a machine for knitting lace, the

.combination with longitudinally shiftableweft-bars, of a carrier movable toward and' from the weft-bars, lockin contrivances for the several bars indep'en ently retractable relatively to the carrier in the'movement of traction of the locking devices, after the enthe carrier toward locking position, andv springs compressible, in the relative regagement of the corresponding locking de-.

vices with the weft-bars.

In testimony of which inventlonI have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa,

on this 23rd day of May, 1918.

P JOHN EPPLER. Witness Y I E. D. ErrLnR. 

